The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for automatically weighing and introducing chemicals such as dyestuff (dye) or auxiliaries (dyeing aid), and particularly to a process and apparatus for automatically weighing and introducing chemicals, wherein the procedure steps of from the weight measurement of chemicals to the introduction of same can be automatized or unmanned.
As shown in FIG. 38, a conventional dyeing operation comprised procedure steps of supplying water through a pipe 142 into a dissolving tank 141 adjust to a tank 140 containing dye, beating the supplied water by supplying steam from a steam supply pipe 143, as needed, introducing chemicals such as dyestuffs or auxiliaries prepared by operators into the hot water, agitating the chemicals by means of a stirrer 144 for dissolution purpose, and injecting the resultant liquid chemicals into the suction side of a pump 146 through an opened valve 145.
Such a method, however, required a manual weight measurement of chemicals, which led to a variation in measured values, errors in measurement, etc., making is difficult to increase the degree of accuracy of dyeing. Additionally in such a manning operation, operators attending to the weight measurement had to handle the machines for a long period of time, and to keep their eyes on the progress of operations in each of treatment tasks.
Japanese Utility Model unexamined publication No. 61-103493 disclosed a process for automatizing the supply of chemicals to dye treatment tanks, wherein as shown by FIG. 39, a determined amount of each of chemicals is passed through valves 162 in opening and closing action, which are provided on pipes 155-161 disposed between different kinds of tanks 147-153 containing the chemicals and dissolving tanks 155 of treatment tanks 154 until the chemicals are introduced via the dissolving tank 155 and an injection pump 163 into the treatment tanks 154. The treatment tank is provided with a circulation pump 164.
With such a chemicals supply system as illustrated by FIG. 39, as indicated by a long and short dash line and a two-dot chain line, if the number of the treatment tanks is increased, the chemicals will have to be fed to the dissolving tanks belonging to the respective treatment tanks, so that the each pipes 156-161 will necessarily be branched to connect with the corresponding dissolving tanks 155.
This, therefore, makes the piping very complicated, causing installation cost expensive. In particular, in case a large number of the treatment tanks 154, namely 8-10 units, are installed, it was hard to handle a supply of chemicals made through the abovementioned particular piping. And if the supply amount of chemicals is small, there will be created a problem that the accuracy may drop due to residual chemicals deposited on the inner side of the pipes. On the other hand, in the event that a cleaning takes place for the purpose of increase in accuracy, a problem has arisen that the amount of the liquid used had totalled up to an excessive one.
Japanese Patent unexamined publication No. 61-41364 disclosed a system in which a container holding a stock solution such as liquid dye and placed on a rotary table is lifted by a lower weighing device being elevated, up to a position where the weight of the container is measured.
In accordance with this system, such a described inconvenience is avoided because a precise measurement can be performed for the amount of the chemicals to be delivered to the treatment tan. However, even though the amount of the chemicals to be supplied can be measured accurately by such a proposed system, after measuring operation, the container must be removed from the rotary table to be transported to the dissolving tank of the treatment tank, and therefore, in view of all the steps of from the measurement of chemicals to the supply of same to the dissolving tank, the efficiency of operation is very poor, and a full automatization of the whole steps is no longer possible.
Another system for supplying and measuring the amount of chemicals in a precise manner has been disclosed by Japanese Patent unexamined publication No. 60-241923, wherein as chemicals are forced into a chemical container by blowing a compressed air to said container, a determined amount of the chemicals may be measured by use of an electronic balance.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent unexamined publication Nos. 61-289169, and 62-101663, 62-109800 proposed systems enabling a precise measurement by steps of introducing most of chemicals into a chemical container through an opened electromagnetic valve for a large supply and then adding a trace of the chemicals through an electromagnetic valve for small supply in an open position. But, none of said publications disclosed any concrete means for achieving an automatization of the steps from the measurement to the supply to the dissolving tank